Marlin's 444 Marlin Part II

Ah yes, I remember when a work day was comprised of suiting up and working through a new product presentation or presenting quarterly financials to board members. My basic objective was to justify my position and salary, while they were there mostly for a report of no problems, free donuts and a limo ride back to the airport. By comparison, writing is a great freedom, although I sorely miss the personal assistant who edited my work, corrected my grammar and spelling and made me look a lot brighter than I was. Tough break for you guys who chose to read this stuff… particularly without the free donuts or rides to the airport.

This weekend I will find extreme enjoyment in working with a new automotive code scanner to isolate which of the four oxygen sensors have failed on our thrasher SUV and for dessert I’ll change out the bar and chain on the chainsaw. There is a lot to be said for becoming an old guy, at least until attaining the age of drooling into my breakfast cereal. Anyway, Part II, 444 Marlin….

The 444 Marlin is both SAAMI and CIP listed. SAAMI MAP is 42,000 psi and CIP Pmax is 3550 BAR (51,476 psi). In deference to the lever action platform, and accepting that SAAMI and CIP use different approaches to testing, the CIP standard was not utilized in any of the following information.

The bullet line up...

The 444 marlin has a relatively long case. As an example, it is nominally 0.120″ longer than the 45-70’s case. Unfortunately, it still must cycle through the same Marlin lever action design, which typically leads to short nose bullets to make the SAAMI maximum cartridge overall length specification of 2.570″. More so, the cartridge should be kept to Marlin’s recommended maximum cartridge overall length of 2.550″. Fortunately, there are ways to accommodate longer or blunt ogive component bullets.

Accommodating both case bullets required trimming to a length of 2.180″, or 0.025″ shorter than minimum case length spec. (picture right). Not a controversial modification as Hornady requires 444 Marlin cases be trimmed to 2.065″ when utilizing their 265 grain FTX bullet, which is 0.140″ below the SAAMI minimum case length spec.

Yes, net case capacity is reduced, but not useful capacity; there is more than enough room for any charge listed on the table that follows without significant compression. Reducing net capacity, the volume remaining in the case after the bullet is seated, increases pressure unless the charge is slightly reduced as compensation. This was done with the charges that appear on the table below.

Above, the first pass with the shortened case on the 275 grain load and the initial decision not to shorten the case for the 255 grain cast load. It quickly became obvious that the wide ogive and large diameter meplat were not going to work with a full length case. Subsequently, the first set fired had the 255 grain case shortened as well.

The 444 Marlin’s parent case is not the 44 Mag, it is the 30-06 in a shortened and semi-rim configuration rather than rimless. The 444 Marlin has an 0.515″ rim, the same as the 44 Remington Mag. However, the 444 Marlin’s case body ahead of the rim is 0.470″, very close to the 0.471″ body of the 30-06 Springfield, and significantly larger than the 0.457″ diameter 44 Mag body. The 444 Marlin and 44 Mag share a common bullet diameter, but often not the same cannelure location in the heavier weights for proper assembly.

A Lyman three die set was used for assembly of once fired brass. They are well made, long threaded for plenty of adjustment latitude with the thick die head like the one on a Redding turret press and nicely finished once the storage crud is removed. Expanding, seating and crimp adjustment are as easy to make as any other quality die set.